On one of the Professor Discussion Boards I watch, a Prof. asked for people's top 10-15 all-time high impact U.S. Supreme Court decisions--whether or not you agree or disagree with the decision. My list is below. Are there any you would add or subtract?
Top 11 U.S. Supreme Court decisions in terms of impact/potential impact (whether or not I agree with the result) in no particular order. Everybody has a top 10 or Dirty Dozen--I just have to be different some times!
1. Dred Scott v. Sanford (expression of white supremacy, highly controversial at time, factor in triggering Civil War)
2. Brown v Bd. of Education (beginning of the end separate but equal and de jure racial discrimination, spurred Civil Right Revolution, highly controversial at time)
3. Mapp v. Ohio (4th Amend. Exclusionary rule applies to states, states now have to take Fourth Amendment seriously, great increase in police training on search and seizure, great increase in litigation in criminal cases, highly controversial)
4. Reynolds v. Sims (requires one-man one-vote in state legislatures, major shift in power from rural to urban in many states,highly controversial, very unpopular in rural circles)
5. Griswold v. Conn. (birth or substantive due process right to privacy, led to Roe and Lawrence, most people liked result, Court's methodology controversial)
6. Roe v. Wade (woman’s right to abortion under right to privacy; highly controversial to this day)
7. Marbury v. Madison (established principle of judicial review)
8. Miranda v. AZ (warnings required before police can interrogate suspect in custody, major change in required police procedures, helps make privilege against self-incrimination a viable right when dealing with police, promoted police professionalism and improved respect for suspects, controversial at time)
9. Gregg v. Ga. (allowed reinstatement of death penalty)
10. McDonald v. Chi. (Individual rights interpretation of 2nd Amendment binding on states, spurred gun-rights movement, lawsuits and legislative proposals, highly disliked by many on the Left, Full impact still to be played out)
11. Lawrence v. Texas (right to engage in adult consensual homosexual activity in private; will spurred more gay rights cases, e.g., right of gays to marry, “don’t ask, don’t tell, highly disliked by many on the Right)
Being a CJ Professor, my list might be biased in that direction. What are your top 10-15 Supreme Court decisions in terms of impact (whether you like them or not)
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